The Mass in B Minor is arguably Bach's greatest single work. This short
guide considers the work from many angles, offering the reader basic
information in a concise and accessible form. John Butt gives an
absorbing account of the work's genesis, its historical context, and its
reception by later generations. One chapter considers the work movement
by movement, providing the text in both Latin and English, and the final
group of chapters on the music itself suggests some new approaches to
the work--its forms, style and overall structure. This is an informative
and lucid guide, providing an up-to-date summary of existing research
and opinions together with some new and challenging insights.